Yarmouth church altar re-dedicated after hate incident

The altar at St Mary’s Roman Catholic church in Great Yarmouth has been re-dedicated after it was desecrated during what police called a hate crime attack.

The incident occurred on March 29 when a man lit several small fires in the church in Regent Road and attempted to burn a sacred icon from the altar. He left a depiction of the Devil in its place, in what police had described as a hate crime.

The re-dedication at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Great Yarmouth was performed by the Bishop of East Anglia, the Rt Rev Alan Hopes. Parish priest, Father Anthony Nwankwo, thanked Bishop Alan for attending and conducting what he called a beautiful mass. He also thanked everyone for their support both in the immediate aftermath and ongoing since the incident. Father Alex Ibe, from St Peter’s Church in Gorleston, also took part in the mass.